The Bechdel Test for Evaluating the Use of Women Characters in Movies

The Bechdel Test evaluates a filmmaker’s use of female characters in a movie. To pass, the movie must satisfy three criteria:

1) Are there at least two women characters with names?

2) Do they talk to each other?

3) Do they talk to each other about something other than a man?

The video below reveals just how many movies fail the test.

The underlying problem can’t be ignored: the use of women in movies completely misrepresents reality. This is not only a diservice to female members of the audience. Diverse, complex characters spread across different genders is an essential quality of great storytelling that everyone enjoys. Failure to deliver this is just another way that movies today are falling short.